It's Easy, Hard as it Looks
by Schwilliam
Summary: Detectives Prescott and Chase are top officers on the Arcadia Bay Police Force. But when a local stripper goes missing, they're tossed into a mystery that will bring up ghosts from their pasts. And when a charming dancer offers his help to Nathan, what will that lead him into?


A/N: Welp trying my hand at the multi-chap fic again. It's been quite a while and I have a plot, sort of. I'll be working on a couple other stories in the meantime but yeah. It's still a work in progress but till then enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange.

* * *

Chapter 1: Live In This City

Arcadia Bay was a relatively quiet town. Cool summers and cold winters. The sea air flowed through ones nostrils, but the salty air never grew tiresome. For most at least. Arcadia did have a darker side. Rebellious teenagers at the local academy, recreational drug use was surprisingly common, and every once in a while someone went missing and was either found a few days later, or not at all. Today was a day with more excitement than usual for the police force. Detectives Nathan Prescott and Victoria Chase stood outside one of the warehouses by the harbor, a pair of squad cars behind them for backup. The pair had been on the trail of some local dealers who had been pushing some harder stuff to the community, and now they'd finally tracked them down to the docks.

Nathan looked up at the building with a sour expression. He took a drag from his cigarette and ran a hand through his slicked back brown hair before turning to look back at Victoria. She was going over the layout plans of the warehouse and directing the officers to post at any exits to catch anyone who tried to slip out. Nathan smirked to himself at the sight. He knew it was regular procedure, but the looks on the officers faces as they rushed to their positions made him know Victoria had put fear in them. If anyone got out of here and didn't shoot an officer, she'd make them wish they had a bullet in them. Victoria crossed over to Nathan loading and cocking her gun as she gave him a glance over.

"All suited up and ready to go?" she said with a stern look.

"As always Mom."

She scoffed and shook her head. The pair worked well together, they had a dedication to the job and would do what it took to ensure the law would be upheld. Victoria always had to be in control of the situation, while Nathan did things however he wanted, control or plans be damned. They clashed over this quite a few times over the past three years of working together, but they made it work regardless. Nathan tossed his now finished cigarette to the ground and ground it under his shoe as he and Vic approached the side office entrance door. They each took a side, pistols raised, prepared for anything.

"So, should we knock?" Nate jokingly questioned with a smirk.

"Only if you want to be politely shot" Victoria snapped back, but the twitch of a smile could be seen at the corner of her lips.

"If you say so." Nathan moved from his spot and moved in front the door delivering a swift kick to knock it in as Victoria rushed in ahead of him.

"ARCADIA BAY POLICE! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" Victoria shouted with her sights aimed at the three men in the room who were packaging up small packets of white powder. One of the men immediately ran off to one of the exits where two officers were waiting. The second immediately dropped down to his knees and put his hands up. The third was less cooperative, pulling a gun out from his coat pocket and opened fire on the pair of detectives. They ducked for cover, Victoria rolling behind some crates, and Nathan sliding under a table which he flipped onto its side for protection. They heard four shots after they hid. Nathan hopped up, aiming at where the man had been standing only to see the man charging off out of the office and into the warehouse itself. Nathan growled and leapt across the table, rushing after him.

"Arrest that one, I'm after the runaway!" Nathan shouted to Victoria who had already come out of cover and had her cuffs at the ready.

Nathan rushed through rows of stacked containers and boxes. He could see the man a few steps ahead of him, but he wasn't rushing to a door. _Where the hell is he going?_ Nathan thought in confusion. The man turned right at a row and Nathan let out a burst of speed to chase him down, whipping around the corner.

"FREEZE GODDAMNIT!" he snarled. His eyes locked onto the man who had one hand on the gun aimed at Nathan and his other on the power box for the warehouse. Nathan raised up his gun, firing at the man, but not aiming anywhere in particular as the lights went black around them. Only the grey light from the cloudy sky that came through the high windows kept Nathan from being left totally blind. Nathan heard the other man's gun fire and a yelp followed by a thump. Nathan fumbled for his flashlight with a one hand, while still holding out his gun where he thought the man was. When he finally got the light on, he stared down at the man who was clenching his shoulder in pain where Nathan's shot had caught him. Nate grinned and approached him, kicking the gun aside that the man had held and rolled him onto his back.

"Alright asshole, party's over." Nathan cuffed the man and then stood up to flip the lights back on. He picked up the man roughly, leading him down the row of crates back to the office before he stopped with a shock. In front of him the second man who had surrendered, had Victoria. He had her gun aimed at her head, and was holding her up as a shield.

"Try anything and the lady gets it" the second man spat. Victoria looked about as pissed as a wet cat. There was a bruise on her forehead from where the man had hit her, and her hands were gripping at the arm around her neck. Nathan stood there frozen, immediately tossed the man he had caught to the ground and held up his gun at the one holding Victoria captive.

The man pressed the gun right to Victoria's temple, prompting her to gasp in panic.

"Nathan, I swear to God just listen to the guy!" Victoria shouted. Her eyes were wide and she was looking around frantically, trying to formulate a plan.

Nathan grit his teeth, not wavering his aim from the man, his eyes going between the man and Victoria.

"Prescott…you can't let him shoot _me_. Just listen to me for once in your life…" Victoria's voice was soft, almost wavering. She and Nathan locked eyes, a pained expression on her face.

* * *

"I'm not coming with you."

Nathan's father who had been adjusting his bowtie in the mirror he had in his office, turned back to face his son.

"What do you mean you're not coming? This is a charity gala that I need to attend with my whole family. This appearance will shoot my numbers up in the polls. They need to see that 'Senator' Sean Prescott is the right choice for them."

Nathan stood his ground, despite the weak feeling in his knees.

"Dad, I don't want to have anything to do with your campaign. I don't even like what you're planning for the city. We don't need tax cuts on the rich; we need more help for the lower class." Nathan felt his voice crack when he spoke out, but he didn't break eye contact with his father.

Sean Prescott strode up to Nathan with a sneer. "What do you know about anything in this town? It's rife with corruption. So why not take advantage of that wealth to put myself ahead? The poor don't even have the right to vote. If they made something out of themselves maybe they would. But they don't! And without my money and our name, you're just as bad. A deadbeat kid with no future!"

Nathan didn't even see it coming when the back of his father's hand struck his cheek. Nathan fell to the floor, tears pricking at his eyes as he looked up in fear at his father. He could already feel his cheek burning and he knew it would be a bright red.

"Now, you go to your mother, get her to cover up that, and get dressed. If I don't see you there tonight, there will be more where that came from."

Sean Prescott stepped over his son and went to the door before giving him a last look.

"When I win this election, throw your life away for all I care. The tragic downward spiral of my son might just make some good publicity." With that he went through the door, slamming it behind him and leaving Nathan in the darkened office

Nathan stared hard at the ground as the first few tears started to fall from his face and stain the carpet. He knew tonight would have to happen, he's have to put on the appearance of a good son. But after tonight? He would live his life how he wanted. He would disappoint his father, but wasn't that the point? But he wasn't going to take orders from anyone. He would find his own way.

* * *

Nathan's eyes locked onto Victoria's and a small smile came to his face.

"Don't let him shoot you? He'd probably miss. I bet this guy couldn't hit me." Nathan let out a high laugh. The man seemed taken aback, not sure whether to be worried or insulted. Nathan laughed again and held up his hands.

"Come on bitch! You couldn't shoot me if you tried. I bet you have the safety on even. Too scared to use the thing right?"

The man's face contorted in rage and he moved the gun from Victoria's head to aim at Nathan.

"You're dead assh-AGH!" The man let out a shout as Victoria drove an elbow into the man's chest and his arm released her. She twisted around grabbing him by the head as he doubled over and pulled it down as she drove her knee up into his face. Stunned and now on his knees the man looked up before Victoria let out a right hook sending him into a world of black.

Nathan smirked as Victoria bent over slightly panting.

"Fuck…that guy. You couldn't have grabbed the other one before the power went out?" She looked at Nathan with irritation, but her tone was mocking.

Nathan shrugged and went over to take the now unconscious man and handcuff him as well. The other officer's had come in finally, the one who had run already in custody, and they took the remaining two away.

"I still think we did well enough Chase. Chief Madsen won't have much to complain about."

Victoria rolled her eyes, but smiled and shooed away one of the medical officer's they had on hand just in case.

"Yes. Job well done. Now I'd like to just get back to the office and not think about how I could smell fish on that dirt bag's breath right next to my face."

"Well we could always get something to eat? Coffee sounds like a better smell to have in your face." Nathan suggested.

"Is this just because you had to skip breakfast for an early case?"

"Probably." Nathan said while already heading out the exit and back to their car. Victoria sighed and followed behind him.


End file.
